Daily Maverickhttp://www.dailymaverick.co.za/
All the news you need from The Daily Mavericken-gbTue, 03 Mar 2015 22:00:16 +0200Tue, 03 Mar 2015 22:00:16 +0200Daily Maverickeditor@thedailymaverick.co.za (Editor)editor@thedailymaverick.co.za (Webmaster)15GroundUp: Gay and lesbian activists call for ‘racist’ Cape Town Pride to be more inclusiveFor 25-year-old Aphiwe Mikana from Gugulethu, raising awareness about what it means to be lesbian is more than brightly coloured floats or a day of dancing through city streets. By BARBARA MAREGELE for GROUNDUP.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-03-03-groundup-gay-and-lesbian-activists-call-for-racist-cape-town-pride-to-be-more-inclusive/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-03-03-groundup-gay-and-lesbian-activists-call-for-racist-cape-town-pride-to-be-more-inclusive/Tue, 03 Mar 2015 01:26:07 +0200ArticleLandscapes painted by xenophobia: Protea South, SowetoIn the month since of a spate of violence aimed at foreign shopkeepers ripped through Gauteng, South Africans have, once again, been asking whether so-called “xenophobic violence” is on the verge of exploding. The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) certainly thinks so, warning of “numerous and ongoing attacks on refugees and foreign nationals.” RICHARD POPLAK visited Protea South to see how one Soweto location is dealing with a problem that refuses easy definitions.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-03-03-landscapes-painted-by-xenophobia-protea-south-soweto/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-03-03-landscapes-painted-by-xenophobia-protea-south-soweto/Tue, 03 Mar 2015 01:23:36 +0200ArticleLesotho elections: Uncertainty in Maseru as no clear winner emergesLesotho’s emergency election was designed to drag the country out of its political crisis. However, with most results in, and despite a surge in popularity for embattled Prime Minister Thomas Thabane, no one has been handed a clear mandate. The new order, whatever its final composition, already looks as dangerously unstable as the old. By GREG NICOLSON and SIMON ALLISON in Maseru.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-03-03-lesotho-elections-uncertainty-in-maseru-as-no-clear-winner-emerges/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-03-03-lesotho-elections-uncertainty-in-maseru-as-no-clear-winner-emerges/Tue, 03 Mar 2015 01:20:50 +0200ArticleOp-Ed: An attack on a foreign migrant is an attack on us allSome meanings of the word xenophobia relate it to a hatred of foreigners, something psychological that erupts like a phobia. But those who are targeted are in the main foreign people who often live peacefully and amicably in South African communities, in some cases speaking the language of the communities with whom they stay. It is usually the poorest and most vulnerable who come under attack, but an attack on these people is ultimately an attack on us all. By RAYMOND SUTTNER.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-03-03-op-ed-an-attack-on-a-foreign-migrant-is-an-attack-on-us-all/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-03-03-op-ed-an-attack-on-a-foreign-migrant-is-an-attack-on-us-all/Tue, 03 Mar 2015 01:17:29 +0200ArticleA cultural weapon? How Afrikaans arts journalists found breathing space in Apartheid SAFrom refusing to make a submission to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission about its complicity in propping up Apartheid to forcing journalists to endorse the National Party as part of their employment contracts, Naspers has remarkably survived its odious past. Not only survived, but thrived, as one of the 21st Century’s biggest global media players. In a recently published book, former arts journalist Gabriël Bothma explores how some writers and editors attempted to navigate the dubious ideology and slavish propaganda. By MARIANNE THAMM.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-03-03-a-cultural-weapon-how-afrikaans-arts-journalists-found-breathing-space-in-apartheid-sa/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-03-03-a-cultural-weapon-how-afrikaans-arts-journalists-found-breathing-space-in-apartheid-sa/Tue, 03 Mar 2015 01:15:23 +0200ArticleGroundUp: Manenberg school highlights public versus private education debateAn independent school in Manenberg, one of Cape Town's most gang-ridden communities, had better matric results last year than any state school in the area has ever achieved. But educationalists are divided as to whether it is a model that should be scaled up. By BARBARA MAREGELE for GROUNDUP.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-03-03-groundup-manenberg-school-highlights-public-versus-private-education-debate/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-03-03-groundup-manenberg-school-highlights-public-versus-private-education-debate/Tue, 03 Mar 2015 01:11:32 +0200ArticleOp-Ed: The trade union federation formerly known as CosatuIt must now surely be official. With a whimper rather than a bang, Cosatu is an ex-trade union federation; it has shuffled off its mortal coil. It’s over. Now, all that’s left is the shouting, even if the struggling and noise-making will continue for some time. But not much more than that - shouting. By STEPHEN GROOTES.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-03-03-op-ed-the-trade-union-federation-formerly-known-as-cosatu/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-03-03-op-ed-the-trade-union-federation-formerly-known-as-cosatu/Tue, 03 Mar 2015 01:10:02 +0200ArticleDiploma Mills and other millstones around South Africa’s neckThe chaos and damage caused by the misstatements made by a number of South African diplomatic representatives concerning their educational attainments encourages J. BROOKS SPECTOR to contemplate what this means and how to fix it.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-03-03-diploma-mills-and-other-millstones-around-south-africas-neck/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-03-03-diploma-mills-and-other-millstones-around-south-africas-neck/Tue, 03 Mar 2015 01:07:36 +0200ArticleCricket: Hundred up, and time to Dale-iver!Dale Steyn will make his landmark 100th ODI appearance for South Africa when they take on Ireland in Canberra on Tuesday. He’s yet to fire on all cylinders, and the Proteas will be hoping he comes to the party. By ANTOINETTE MULLER.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-03-03-cricket-hundred-up-and-time-to-dale-iver/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-03-03-cricket-hundred-up-and-time-to-dale-iver/Tue, 03 Mar 2015 01:03:00 +0200ArticleLesotho votes: ‘I hope it will be boring now’On Saturday, Lesotho voted in emergency elections designed to solve its political crisis. With results still a few days away, GREG NICOLSON and SIMON ALLISON took the pulse of a rain-soaked Maseru – and a few pictures too.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-03-02-lesotho-votes-i-hope-it-will-be-boring-now/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-03-02-lesotho-votes-i-hope-it-will-be-boring-now/Mon, 02 Mar 2015 01:10:18 +0200ArticleInformation = Power: Jacob Zuma’s shrinking circle of trustFrom his family home to the national intelligence service, there have been threats and security breaches that have exposed President Jacob Zuma and the country to indefinite dangers. Zuma, the former head of ANC intelligence, was once hyper-vigilant on issues of security and careful whom he entrusted with intelligence and security matters. However, paranoia and ANC factional battles led to a purge of experienced personnel in the security services, resulting in chaos and amateur-grade manoeuvres, some of which have recently been exposed. As Zuma skids towards lame-duck status, the pool of information he relies on is seemingly getting smaller, and the people fewer. By RANJENI MUNUSAMY.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-03-02-information-power-jacob-zumas-shrinking-circle-of-trust/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-03-02-information-power-jacob-zumas-shrinking-circle-of-trust/Mon, 02 Mar 2015 01:04:13 +0200ArticleLLAP: Spock, the Vulcan, lives foreverLeonard Nimoy, the man who created the enduring character of Mr Spock, has finally been beamed up for a final trip. J. BROOKS SPECTOR takes an affectionate look back at the versatile actor and his amazing influence on contemporary culture.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-03-02-in-memoriam-spock-the-vulcan-lives-forever/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-03-02-in-memoriam-spock-the-vulcan-lives-forever/Mon, 02 Mar 2015 01:01:47 +0200ArticleThe IEC: Calm down to a panicWithin the life of our loud and rambunctious democracy, the rules that most countries obey are often ignored. But there are some that still matter; that matter to all of us. And those are mediated, in the end, by the Independent Electoral Commission. Up until this point, it’s been an institution seen as so important, and so critical to our democracy, that there has generally been some sort of consensus on who should be a part of it, with the net result of being a highly respected part of our political framework. The headlines are now screaming two separate and unrelated developments: A ‘Zuma man’ is being nominated as a new commissioner, and an ‘independent member’ is resigning. The truth is, it is probably too early for panic – for now. By STEPHEN GROOTES.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-03-02-the-iec-calm-down-to-a-panic/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-03-02-the-iec-calm-down-to-a-panic/Mon, 02 Mar 2015 00:55:53 +0200ArticleThe Street Store: When inspiration goes truly globalDakar. Indianapolis. Tel Aviv. Antwerp. Aberdeen. London. Islamabad. Oslo. Accra. Sao Paulo. The Street Store, an initiative to help the homeless that was born in Cape Town in January 2014, has gone global in truly astonishing style. In just over one year, more than 180 Street Stores have been held in 124 international cities. By REBECCA DAVIS.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-03-02-the-street-store-when-inspiration-goes-truly-global/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-03-02-the-street-store-when-inspiration-goes-truly-global/Mon, 02 Mar 2015 00:34:52 +0200ArticleRight of Response: Free State Government’s letter to the editorOn Friday 27 February GroundUp published a whistleblowers' account of the state of the Free State health system, which was republished in Daily Maverick. Before publishing, GroundUp sent a list of questions to the Free State Department of Health and the office of Premier Ace Magashule. Here is a response written by MONDLI MVAMBI of the health department and MAKALO MOHALE of the premier's office, which, in the interests of fair debate, Daily Maverick is publishing in full.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-03-02-right-of-response-free-state-governments-letter-to-the-editor/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-03-02-right-of-response-free-state-governments-letter-to-the-editor/Mon, 02 Mar 2015 00:24:49 +0200ArticleCricket: SA regroups, easy as AB(C)An emphatic victory against the West Indies, engineered by AB de Villiers, showed what South Africa is capable of when just keeping things simple. By ANTOINETTE MULLER.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-03-02-cricket-sa-regroups-easy-as-abc/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-03-02-cricket-sa-regroups-easy-as-abc/Mon, 02 Mar 2015 00:22:31 +0200ArticleGroundUp: How the Free State health system is being destroyed – whistleblowers' accountDoctors working in the Free State public health system have written a devastating indictment of MEC for Health Benny Malakoane as well as Premier Ace Magashule. They describe how through a combination of ineptitude, corruption and neglect the Free State Health system has been brought close to collapse. By GROUNDUP.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-27-groundup-how-the-free-state-health-system-is-being-destroyed-whistleblowers-account/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-27-groundup-how-the-free-state-health-system-is-being-destroyed-whistleblowers-account/Fri, 27 Feb 2015 17:37:56 +0200ArticleThe Great Wall of KenyaGood fences make good neighbours, they say. But does this aphorism really apply to international relations? As Kenya contemplates walling off its troublesome border with Somalia, we look at the history of separation barriers and how effective they really are. By SIMON ALLISON.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-27-the-great-wall-of-kenya/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-27-the-great-wall-of-kenya/Fri, 27 Feb 2015 01:19:54 +0200ArticleThe Art of Persuasion: Vusi Pikoli’s great new adventure in ZillelandFormer national director of public prosecutions, Advocate Vusi Pikoli, is accustomed to finding himself in heavy-duty political crossfire. In December he relocated to Cape Town to take up a pioneering position as the country’s first police ombudsman. Pikoli is nobody’s fool and is determined to stake out the independence of his office in spite of charges that his appointment is part of some sort of political payback. By MARIANNE THAMM.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-27-the-art-of-persuasion-vusi-pikolis-great-new-adventure-in-zilleland/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-27-the-art-of-persuasion-vusi-pikolis-great-new-adventure-in-zilleland/Fri, 27 Feb 2015 01:15:24 +0200ArticleBraamfisherville, Soweto: Burning man. Burning Somali Man.A meeting held by Soweto business owners to discuss foreign-owned businesses operating in the area saw tempers flare as the agenda focused only on how to expel them. When one of the locals received a phone call saying his sister had been assaulted by a Somali shop owners, a mob formed which then rampaged through Snake Park and Braamfischerville, torching foreign-owned stores and setting one man alight. BHEKI C SIMELANE was there.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-27-braamfisherville-soweto-burning-man.-burning-somali-man./
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-27-braamfisherville-soweto-burning-man.-burning-somali-man./Fri, 27 Feb 2015 01:09:13 +0200ArticleAmnesty International: Not a good time for human rightsAmnesty International released its annual report on Wednesday, noting a pattern of abuse and force being used to crush dissent in Southern Africa. There were positives, but as 2015 has already seen a rise in the activity of armed groups and state force on the continent, the pattern is worrying. By GREG NICOLSON.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-27-amnesty-international-not-a-good-time-for-human-rights/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-27-amnesty-international-not-a-good-time-for-human-rights/Fri, 27 Feb 2015 01:05:01 +0200ArticleThe remarkable rise of Afghanistan cricketAfghanistan made history on Thursday when they won their first ever World Cup match. Their remarkable rise has captured the hearts, minds and imagination of cricket fans the world over. By ANTOINETTE MULLER.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-27-the-remarkable-rise-of-afghanistan-cricket/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-27-the-remarkable-rise-of-afghanistan-cricket/Fri, 27 Feb 2015 01:00:38 +0200ArticleSpy Cables, Kumi Naidoo and Big Bad Nuclear: Why the Deep State is watching youThere’s been a lot of discussion over the course of the week regarding the dramatically named “Spy Cables” [insert own theme music and/or ‘War on Spy Cables’ CNN graphics here]. As they’ve dribbled out via Al Jazeera and The Guardian, we ask, “What do the documents mean?” Every adult South African knows the Deep State spies on citizens as a matter of routine. Well, here’s a little tale from the depths of the Deep State – another reminder that your government is not your brother, but your Big Brother. By RICHARD POPLAK.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-27-spy-cables-kumi-naidoo-and-big-bad-nuclear-why-the-deep-state-is-watching-you/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-27-spy-cables-kumi-naidoo-and-big-bad-nuclear-why-the-deep-state-is-watching-you/Fri, 27 Feb 2015 00:52:32 +0200ArticleBudget 2015: Where’s the money at?Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene’s maiden budget produced some nasty news for better-off South Africans. In terms of provinces, government departments and entities, though, who gets which slice of the pie? REBECCA DAVIS takes a look at some of the stand-out – or just slightly interesting – facts and figures.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-26-budget-2015-wheres-the-money-at/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-26-budget-2015-wheres-the-money-at/Thu, 26 Feb 2015 01:21:43 +0200ArticleBudget 2015: Nhlanhla Nene and the theory of everythingIt could not have been easy having to proclaim the end of the good times to South Africans. It was Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene’s first spin of the Budget wheel, a task performed adeptly by his predecessors as ANC finance ministers, Trevor Manuel and Pravin Gordhan. Unlike Manuel and Gordhan, Nene had to be the bad guy, announcing, among other things, the first tax hike since 1995 and a massive increase in fuel levies. It is clear that fiscal discipline and more squeezing of the taxpayer will have to define his term in office. Nene is not a political heavyweight, and the success of his Budget is entirely dependent on his colleagues and the government system taking him seriously. By RANJENI MUNUSAMY.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-26-budget-2015-nhlanhla-nene-and-the-theory-of-everything/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-26-budget-2015-nhlanhla-nene-and-the-theory-of-everything/Thu, 26 Feb 2015 01:16:42 +0200ArticleQ&A on Libya: More weapons are not the answer to jihadi upsurgeThe INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP’s Libya Senior Analyst CLAUDIA GAZZINI discusses the upsurge in Islamic State activity in Libya.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-26-qa-on-libya-more-weapons-are-not-the-answer-to-jihadi-upsurge/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-26-qa-on-libya-more-weapons-are-not-the-answer-to-jihadi-upsurge/Thu, 26 Feb 2015 01:15:18 +0200ArticleSeven lessons, brought to me by the Cold War spiesThe recent disclosure by the Al Jazeera broadcast network and the UK’s Guardian newspaper of espionage and intelligence shenanigans, mostly connected to South Africa in some way, has triggered the author’s recollection of some nearly forgotten memories of his encounters with those in the shadow world, back in the depths of the Cold War. Ian Fleming’s world it most definitely was not. By J BROOKS SPECTOR.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-26-seven-lessons-brought-to-me-by-the-cold-war-spies/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-26-seven-lessons-brought-to-me-by-the-cold-war-spies/Thu, 26 Feb 2015 01:11:40 +0200ArticleAfrica Check: Fact Sheet – Lesotho goes to the pollsSix months after an attempted coup, voters in Lesotho will turn out for early legislative elections this Saturday. By SHIRLEY DE VILLIERS for AFRICA CHECK.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-26-africa-check-fact-sheet-lesotho-goes-to-the-polls/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-26-africa-check-fact-sheet-lesotho-goes-to-the-polls/Thu, 26 Feb 2015 01:09:51 +0200ArticleFull text: Nhlanhla Nene's 2015 Budget speechhttp://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-25-minister-nhlanhla-nene-2015-budget-full-text/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-25-minister-nhlanhla-nene-2015-budget-full-text/Wed, 25 Feb 2015 18:07:45 +0200ArticleSA Budget 2015: Nene appoints committee to sort SARS outFinance Minister Nhanhla Nene announced at a pre-Budget media briefing on Wednesday that he had appointed an “advisory committee” into SARS’ governance headed by a retired judge. The objective is for an independent committee to rise above the factionalism currently afflicting South Africa’s embattled tax-collecting body. This welcome news follows months of scandal plaguing the South African Revenue Service involving high-ranking officials. By RANJENI MUNUSAMY and REBECCA DAVIS.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-25-sa-budget-2015-committee-appointed-to-sort-sars-out/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-25-sa-budget-2015-committee-appointed-to-sort-sars-out/Wed, 25 Feb 2015 14:00:08 +0200ArticleSA Budget 2015: Taxes up, up and awayThough government says an increase in personal taxation will not amount to “too much pain”, the bad news is that income tax rates will be raised by one percentage point for all taxpayers earning more than R181,900 a year. The very bad news is that the total fuel levy will increase by 80.5 cents a litre from April. The exceptionally bad news is that it will be more costly to drown your financial woes as sin taxes are up again. Then there’s a proposed increase in the electricity levy. Despite the tough economic outlook, the 2015 Budget has less austerity talk but tighter fiscal discipline matched with some relief for the poor. By RANJENI MUNUSAMY and REBECCA DAVIS.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-25-sa-budget-2015-taxes-up-up-and-away/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-25-sa-budget-2015-taxes-up-up-and-away/Wed, 25 Feb 2015 13:54:22 +0200ArticlePoliticians behaving badly: When will leaders walk the talk on respect for women?On Sunday, it was reported that an ANC politician who chairs the National Council of Provinces committee tasked with dealing with women’s issues is being investigated for allegedly beating up his ex-lover. On Tuesday, it was reported that a DA deputy shadow minister has had a sexual harassment charge laid against him. A leading figure within the EFF caucus in the Gauteng legislature remains a man previously fired from a social justice organisation over a rape charge. When will our leaders start leading by example? By REBECCA DAVIS.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-25-politicians-behaving-badly-when-will-leaders-walk-the-talk-on-respect-for-women/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-25-politicians-behaving-badly-when-will-leaders-walk-the-talk-on-respect-for-women/Wed, 25 Feb 2015 02:32:48 +0200ArticleWhither the Whistleblower: Who leaked the Spy Cables, and why?As if Johannesburg’s reputation wasn’t bad enough, we have now learned that it teems with spooks watching spies watching terror suspects watching DStv. The City of Gold is the Eldorado of Espionage, a hive of double-, triple-, quadruple-crossing agents from countries across the world, all trying to make sense of the senselessness that is the Global War on Terror. But why are we reading the Spy Cables now? Who leaked them? And why does it feel like South Africa is a pawn in a much bigger geo-political game? By RICHARD POPLAK.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-25-whither-the-whisteblower-who-leaked-the-spy-cables-and-why/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-25-whither-the-whisteblower-who-leaked-the-spy-cables-and-why/Wed, 25 Feb 2015 02:28:07 +0200ArticleSA budget: Five points to watchWhile this year's State of the Nation Address was about the sideshows and President Zuma's speech received little attention, today's budget speech will have a direct and immediate impact on the country. Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene has to balance competing interests in daunting economic times. By GREG NICOLSON.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-25-sa-budget-five-points-to-watch/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-25-sa-budget-five-points-to-watch/Wed, 25 Feb 2015 02:25:51 +0200ArticleBowling Gayles: Zimbabwe bowls Chris into form before South African clashChris Gayle obliterated some records (and the Zimbabwe bowlers in the process) when he became the first person to score a double century in a World Cup on Tuesday. For Gayle, the knock could not have come at a better time. For South Africa, however, it was the worst possible time. By ANTOINETTE MULLER.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-25-bowling-gayles-zimbabwe-bowls-chris-into-form-before-south-african-clash/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-25-bowling-gayles-zimbabwe-bowls-chris-into-form-before-south-african-clash/Wed, 25 Feb 2015 02:22:03 +0200ArticlePushing the reset button on Lesotho's democracyIt’s election time in Lesotho – earlier than scheduled, and in the midst of simmering tensions between all of the major political players. The Mountain Kingdom needs a fresh start, but is this really it? By SIMON ALLISON for ISS Today.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-25-pushing-the-reset-button-on-lesothos-democracy/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-25-pushing-the-reset-button-on-lesothos-democracy/Wed, 25 Feb 2015 00:29:50 +0200ArticleA ringside seat to history: Lord Renwick - extremely close, incredibly influentialBefore the rest of us get to read the stuff that makes headlines (and later history) there are pragmatic movers and shakers who work behind the behind the scenes of great historical events. Lord Renwick of Clifton, British Ambassador to South Africa during a critical period in the country’s transition from Apartheid state to democracy, engaged with key players of the time, from Botha to Mandela, and everyone who was anyone in between. He has just published an engaging memoir of the times. By MARIANNE THAMM.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-25-a-ringside-seat-to-history-lord-renwick-extremely-close-incredibly-influential/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-25-a-ringside-seat-to-history-lord-renwick-extremely-close-incredibly-influential/Wed, 25 Feb 2015 00:26:49 +0200ArticleGroundUp: Child rape case - how poor families struggle for justiceA last-minute intervention by community leaders from Siqalo settlement, in Mitchells Plain, has prevented an accused child rapist from being released without charge. By DANEEL KNOETZE for GROUNDUP.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-25-groundup-child-rape-case-how-poor-families-struggle-for-justice/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-25-groundup-child-rape-case-how-poor-families-struggle-for-justice/Wed, 25 Feb 2015 00:23:03 +0200ArticleLetter to Editor: Response from the IFP to Ranjeni MunusamyEarlier this month, Ranjeni Munusamy wrote an article in which she argued that there had been a distorting of history in the representation of Apartheid’s heroes, among them Mangosuthu Buthelezi and FW de Klerk. Here, the IFP responds in a letter to the editor. In the interests of robust debate, we reprint the letter in full. By Mzamo Buthelezi, IFP Deputy President.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-25-letter-to-editor-response-from-the-ifp-to-ranjeni-munusamy/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-25-letter-to-editor-response-from-the-ifp-to-ranjeni-munusamy/Wed, 25 Feb 2015 00:20:08 +0200ArticleCARTOON: Jerm Attack!The wisdom of JERM, 24 February 2015.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-24-54ec857d6a691/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-24-54ec857d6a691/Tue, 24 Feb 2015 16:06:53 +0200ArticleCricket World Cup 2015: Five talking points thus farWe’re one week into the lengthy tournament, and much has happened that cricket fans will need to wrap their heads around. CARL LEWIS picks out five talking points from the tournament to date.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-24-cricket-world-cup-2015-five-talking-points-thus-far/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-24-cricket-world-cup-2015-five-talking-points-thus-far/Tue, 24 Feb 2015 01:25:03 +0200ArticleThe Libyan weapons paradox: To arm, or not to arm?The Libyan government – what remains of it – wants more weapons to fight off various militant groups and install some semblance of stability in the country. But the United Nations won’t lift the arms embargo until some form of stability is already achieved. It’s a paradox that suggests that everyone is asking the wrong questions. By SIMON ALLISON.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-24-the-libyan-weapons-paradox-to-arm-or-not-to-arm/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-24-the-libyan-weapons-paradox-to-arm-or-not-to-arm/Tue, 24 Feb 2015 01:20:56 +0200ArticleBirds and bees: How the government might finally get it right on adolescent sexSouth African adolescents are having sex young, as much as parents, teachers and schools might not want to face that fact. Last week, one announcement by Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe went virtually unnoticed: that the Cabinet has just approved a strategy plan for dealing with adolescent sexual health and reproductive rights. It’s a plan which is being hailed by those in the know as both necessary and highly progressive. By REBECCA DAVIS.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-24-birds-and-bees-how-the-government-might-finally-get-it-right-on-adolescent-sex/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-24-birds-and-bees-how-the-government-might-finally-get-it-right-on-adolescent-sex/Tue, 24 Feb 2015 01:19:06 +0200ArticleOp-Ed: Shakespeare on steroids – why we should care about alleged plot to poison President ZumaWhile it might be tempting to dismiss or brush it off as tacky tabloid gossip, weekend reports that one of President Jacob Zuma’s wives has been suspected of trying to poison him should provide us with a moment’s pause to contemplate the political crisis this supposed alleged assassination attempt might have, or perhaps should have, triggered. Instead of shrouding the event in denials and secrecy, the Presidency should take citizens into its confidence and come clean. By MARIANNE THAMM.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-24-op-ed-shakespeare-on-steroids-why-we-should-care-about-alleged-plot-to-poison-president-zuma/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-24-op-ed-shakespeare-on-steroids-why-we-should-care-about-alleged-plot-to-poison-president-zuma/Tue, 24 Feb 2015 01:16:24 +0200ArticleGauteng SOPA: Cool, calm and collectedGauteng Premier David Makhura delivered his State of the Province Address on Monday and, unlike SA President Zuma or Western Cape Premier Zille, managed to complete his speech without chaos. E-tolls, it seems, are here to stay, while the province focuses on economic delivery. The opposition remains sceptical over the details. By GREG NICOLSON.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-24-gauteng-sopa-cool-calm-and-collected/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-24-gauteng-sopa-cool-calm-and-collected/Tue, 24 Feb 2015 01:07:04 +0200ArticleOp-Ed: With friends like these… Venezuela’s tragic paradoxThe shocking 19 February arrest on coup charges of the mayor of Caracas, Antonio Ledezma, marks a sharp new drop in the downward spiral of Venezuela since protests and harsh repression erupted in its main cities nearly one year ago. To find stability, Venezuela needs urgent help from its friends to build political consensus. So far mostly silent, regional states and organisations, as well as the international community at large, must act firmly, not with unilateral sanctions, but with pressure for dialogue between the two sides. By JAVIER CIURLIZZA, Latin America Programme Director at the INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-24-op-ed-with-friends-like-these-venezuelas-tragic-paradox/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-24-op-ed-with-friends-like-these-venezuelas-tragic-paradox/Tue, 24 Feb 2015 00:54:24 +0200ArticleCricket World Cup: Vernon Philander will likely miss West Indies and Ireland matchesVernon Philander is likely to have to sit out against both the West Indies and Ireland after picking up a hamstring injury against India over the weekend. This adds a whole new dimension to the already layered selection conundrum South Africa is facing. By ANTOINETTE MULLER.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-24-cricket-world-cup-vernon-philander-will-likely-miss-west-indies-and-ireland-matches/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-24-cricket-world-cup-vernon-philander-will-likely-miss-west-indies-and-ireland-matches/Tue, 24 Feb 2015 00:52:57 +0200ArticleSpy vs. Shy: Life Before & After THE CABLESOne day—many moons from now—our descendants, if they are free men, will build great monuments in honour of the humble flash drive. A day after Laura Poitras’ Edward Snowden picture Citizenfour won best documentary at the Academy Awards ceremony, another data dump is upon us. This time, the files seem culled from a South African State Security Agency’s (SSA) archives. Who jacked the docs? No one knows yet. But we do know that they’re heavy on Iran and Israel, only days before Benjamin Netanyahu heads to Washington to make a speech before a Republican-led Congress. RICHARD POPLAK spoke to ex-spymaster Ronnie Kasrils in order to figure things out.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-24-spy-vs.-shy-life-before-after-the-cables/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-24-spy-vs.-shy-life-before-after-the-cables/Tue, 24 Feb 2015 00:46:04 +0200ArticleWho’ll set the agenda after the SONA2015 storm – Zuma, Mantashe or Malema?What happens now following the most dramatic State of the Nation Address in post-democracy South Africa? Will there be a calm after the storm, or are there new storms brewing? March could be just as dramatic a month in Parliament, with a motion of no confidence in the president, and questions for oral reply to both President Jacob Zuma and his deputy Cyril Ramaphosa scheduled. But will the reconciliatory tone adopted by Zuma in his reply to the SONA debate stick, or was it a flash in the pan? There appears to be a distinct hardening of attitude from ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe, while EFF leader Julius Malema wants to take the fight outside. By RANJENI MUNUSAMY.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-23-wholl-set-the-agenda-after-the-sona2015-storm-zuma-mantashe-or-malema/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-23-wholl-set-the-agenda-after-the-sona2015-storm-zuma-mantashe-or-malema/Mon, 23 Feb 2015 01:11:27 +0200ArticleAdvocate Soni: The case against Makhanya was NOT designed to collapseAdvocate Vas Soni, the head of the independent corruption-busting Special Investigating Unit who has resigned from his post after 16 months, oversaw the investigation into President Jacob Zuma’s Nkandla residence. Any suggestion that his unit’s R155 million claim against Zuma's architect Minenhle Makhanya might have been designed to collapse, was patently false, he told Daily Maverick. By GLYNNIS UNDERHILL.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-23-advocate-soni-the-case-against-makhanya-was-not-designed-to-collapse/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-23-advocate-soni-the-case-against-makhanya-was-not-designed-to-collapse/Mon, 23 Feb 2015 00:14:38 +0200ArticleReview: Touching bass‘The Double Bass’ is about much more than one man’s quest to find the perfect voice with his instrument. It could be the story of any person, weighed down by years of their own baggage, writes LESLEY STONES.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-23-review-touching-bass/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-23-review-touching-bass/Mon, 23 Feb 2015 00:05:43 +0200ArticleGroundUp: Somali businessmen share their acumen with localsAbdikadir Mohamed, the Western Cape Chairman of the Somali Association South Africa (SASA), responded to South African business people who accuse Somali owned businesses of questionable practices at a business skills sharing workshop held at Vuyiseka Secondary School in Philippi this week. By Tariro Washinyira for GROUNDUP.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-22-groundup-somali-businessmen-share-their-acumen-with-locals/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-22-groundup-somali-businessmen-share-their-acumen-with-locals/Sun, 22 Feb 2015 23:56:45 +0200ArticleCricket World Cup: What a load of Shik – India completely outplays South AfricaSouth Africa’s problems when batting second were laid bare when India beat them by 130 runs on Sunday. The top and middle order (Hashim Amla through to David Miller) have 26 hundreds between them for those occasions when they batted first since January 2012. Those figures drop significantly when looking at their records batting second, with just eight hundreds. It’s a weakness other teams will look to expose as the tournament goes on. By ANTOINETTE MULLER.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-22-cricket-world-cup-what-a-load-of-shik-india-completely-outplays-south-africa/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-22-cricket-world-cup-what-a-load-of-shik-india-completely-outplays-south-africa/Sun, 22 Feb 2015 23:46:27 +0200ArticleExclusive: Is this the first South African fighting for the ISIS?He calls himself Abu Hurayra the African, and he wants to help – if, that is, you’re a South African who dreams of fighting for the Islamic State. Meet the man thought to be the first South African jihadi in Syria; this is an insight into his world. By SIMON ALLISON.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-22-exclusive-is-this-the-first-south-african-fighting-for-the-isis/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-22-exclusive-is-this-the-first-south-african-fighting-for-the-isis/Sun, 22 Feb 2015 21:33:16 +0200ArticleCARTOON: Jerm Attack!The wisdom of JERM, 20 February 2015.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-20-54e66d1f97ce1/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-20-54e66d1f97ce1/Fri, 20 Feb 2015 01:09:19 +0200ArticleGroundUp: Delays, faults and failures – what is to be done about Metrorail?Persistent train delays cause constant problems for Metrorail commuters. The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa), which owns Metrorail, plans to fix South Africa’s ageing and poorly maintained rail infrastructure. By KEVIN ELLIOTT for GROUNDUP.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-20-groundup-delays-faults-and-failures-what-is-to-be-done-about-metrorail/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-20-groundup-delays-faults-and-failures-what-is-to-be-done-about-metrorail/Fri, 20 Feb 2015 01:05:31 +0200ArticleSONA2015: Carpe Diem, Zuma styleAnd on the eighth day, we got our happy ending. Well, not really. What we got was a commotion-less sitting of Parliament and a president who extended a much-needed olive branch across the House. We also got a speech that had a little more in in the way of detail about the state of the nation and government plans to tackle problem areas. Yes, our bar for leadership and good performance is not set very high, but after a tumultuous week in South African politics, it was enough to calm the waters, if only for now. By RANJENI MUNUSAMY.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-20-sona2015-carpe-diem-zuma-style/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-20-sona2015-carpe-diem-zuma-style/Fri, 20 Feb 2015 01:02:29 +0200ArticleCricket World Cup: India will be South Africa’s biggest challenge in the group stagesIndia have never beaten South Africa in the World Cup, but that doesn’t mean their group clash on Sunday isn’t going to be tough. In fact, it’s arguably the toughest match South Africa will have until the knockouts. BY ANTOINETTE MULLER.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-20-cricket-world-cup-india-will-be-south-africas-biggest-challenge-in-the-group-stages/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-20-cricket-world-cup-india-will-be-south-africas-biggest-challenge-in-the-group-stages/Fri, 20 Feb 2015 00:25:58 +0200ArticleOp-Ed: Mbete's apology and the importance of the public mea culpaIn 2006 President Jacob Zuma apologised for homophobic comments he had made during a Heritage Day commemoration ceremony in KwaZulu-Natal. This week, Speaker Baleka Mbete apologised for calling EFF CIC Julius Malema a cockroach. Malema, in turn, apologised to DA leader Helen Zille, also for calling her a cockroach. A public apology, particularly by a public political figure, is a hugely important symbolic ritual act. It is good for the body politic and the wellbeing of the nation. By MARIANNE THAMM.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-20-op-ed-mbetes-apology-and-the-importance-of-the-public-mea-culpa/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-20-op-ed-mbetes-apology-and-the-importance-of-the-public-mea-culpa/Fri, 20 Feb 2015 00:21:47 +0200Article467/64: The prisoner next doorWhile even the most established facts in South Africa's narrative are questioned, Nelson Mandela's role in the struggle and values in democracy are widely accepted and touted by all. A new documentary looks to add another layer to our complex history, documenting the life of African National Congress stalwart Andrew Mlangeni, who spent 26 years in the cell next to Madiba but rarely receives attention. By GREG NICOLSON.http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-20-46764-the-prisoner-next-door/
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-20-46764-the-prisoner-next-door/Fri, 20 Feb 2015 00:18:06 +0200Article